General Election 2017: Call to tackle deprivation from Sheffield South East voters

Alex Moore

Stretching from Tinsley to Halfway via Attercliffe and Handsworth, Sheffield South East covers a wide range of communities.

Labour’s Clive Betts has remained popular with residents since winning the seat in 1992, and took 51 per cent of votes in the 2015 General Election.

Ray Percival.

This year he will face candidates from the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the UK Independence Party and the Social Democratic Party - a change from two years ago when there were eight people fighting for votes.

One person he can count on is retired Ray Percival, from Darnall. Ray is backing Labour once more after voting to leave the European Union.

“I’ve never been one for the Conservatives,” he said.

“I voted to leave and we are out now, so I will go back to Labour.”

Attercliffe

Ray has problems close to home on his mind during this election.

“It’s not going right for people in the local area,” he said.

“I’m retired with illnesses. I’m on the verge of losing my independence and I worked until I was in my early 50s.”

Ray said he wasn’t that keen on Jeremy Corbyn but he was the ‘best of a bad bunch’.

Jessica Connolly.

He said Corbyn was ‘for the people’, but added: “I’ve just turned 60 and I can’t see a bright future.

“It’s going to be tough to get rid of Theresa May but it just needs people like me to muck in.”